Chelley Ficlets
by CodyNaomiSwire
Summary: Just some Chelley ficlets I've come up with. Enjoy!
1. Chell's Hair

As Chell sat there on the porch swing, reflectively staring at the colorful sunset, she felt her companion shift beside her, his arm draped across her shoulders. She felt his hand move from resting on her shoulder to entangling itself in the dark strands of her hair, being careful not to pull too hard at them, and stroking through them fondly. She glanced over at him questioningly, meeting his own interested and curious eyes.

"Hm? Oh! Uh, s-sorry," Wheatley stammered, obviously embarrassed, disentangling his hand as quickly yet also as gently as he could. "Sorry, don't know what came over me there. Just- just felt the need to touch your hair for some reason. Should've asked for permission first though I suppose. A bit awkward that. Sorry."

Chell just responded with an amused and inquisitive smile and a raised eyebrow. It wasn't that awkward really, just a bit unexpected.

"I mean, you know," Wheatley continued, after noting Chell's questioning look, "You-you really do have lovely hair. Nice color, and very…er, soft. A bit long too. Long enough that you could put it up in all sorts of styles I'm sure. Not to say that your usual ponytail isn't nice luv! No no, perfectly fine! Just-just thought it would be neat if you changed things up a bit, like added a braid or some clips or something. But it's ok if you don't want to. Ponytails are more convenient anyway I suppose. Practical. A lot like you I suppose. Very you in fact. Definitely a signature look for you-"

With a small shake of her head, Chell reached back and pulled the hair elastic out of her hair, her ponytail becoming a chocolate-colored cascade that fell down around her shoulders and along her upper back. She held the elastic out to Wheatley, interrupting him.

"Hm? S-sorry, what's this for?" he asked confused.

Chell held it out further, glancing down at it and back up to Wheatley, who stared at it for another second before realization entered his expression.

"…Oh-Oh! Oh, do you want _me_ to try something with your hair?"

Chell nodded with another smile.

"Oh, well, ok" Wheatley began, taking the hair elastic from her hand. "But I'm not, uh, particularly experienced at this, just so you know. Obviously never had to do it with mine. So, uh, not sure how this'll turn out, not sure if I can hack it, but first time for everything I suppose. Ok, here we go…"

Chell turned so that her back was facing toward him, and she felt Wheatley gently pull her hair back and begin combing his fingers through it, getting out any knots and tangles that there may have been. As she felt him trying to go about combing and weaving and braiding her hair together in whatever style he had in mind, she couldn't help but notice how nice it felt. Sure, he tugged a bit too hard by accident a couple times (of course he would, he was Wheatley), but Chell didn't really mind. It was nice to feel his fingers run along her scalp, and feel how careful he really was trying to be with her, and feel her hair periodically brush against her back and shoulders and he handled it.

And she could hear him mutter to himself a little bit, obviously frustrated with his lack of hairstyling skills. But instead of worrying herself about how it was going to turn out, Chell was actually rather delightfully curious about how it would turn out. Most likely as an uneven and lopsided braid knowing Wheatley, but whatevs.

After a while, Wheatley finally said, "Ok, I think that's alright. All done! Oh, wait a sec, argh, I guess you can't really see it though can you, it being behind you and all. Should have thought of that before now really. Maybe you could still see it if I got a mirror, or you'd probably have to have at least two I guess for that to work, two mirrors that is, or a perhaps a cam-"

Chell then turned to look at him over her shoulder…

And Wheatley's voice immediately came to a halt as his breath was suddenly taken away. For at that moment he was suddenly looking at one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen in his life.

Granted he hadn't even come close to braiding Chell's hair perfectly - some may have even said it looked a bit messy - but perhaps something about how rough it looked complimented Chell's own rather rugged yet beautiful character. Of course this was by accident on Wheatley's part, but perhaps this time it turned out to be a happy accident. And now that hairstyle, matched with her sharp slate-gray eyes, with her pose being so natural and inquisitive as she looked over her shoulder, and with the colorful sky as the backdrop behind her, and with the light of the setting sun highlighting her face and shoulders and the shining strands of her hair…

Well, for once it left Wheatley at a loss for words, and all he could do was stare at her in awe.

He finally snapped out of it as Chell's eyes glanced away and back, as if to say, _"Ok…now you_ are _being a bit awkward."_

Wheatley blinked a couple times, shaking himself out of his astonished trance. "O-oh, erm, s-sorry luv," said Wheatley, still sounding slightly dazed, and his face showing a touch of scarlet. "I…I don't know what came over me there."


	2. Thinking with Photoshop

"Ok, so I think I'm starting to see how this is going to work."

Wheatley sat as still as he could as Chell plugged the cord into her laptop computer, and then into the hidden port located at the base of Wheatley's 'skull'. As the connection between himself and the new piece of tech came online, he couldn't help but give a small shiver as new information from the program Chell had opened came flowing into his mind.

"Right, so you've got that Photoshop thing open. Let's see here...Oh, wow! This program's amazing! Painting, drawing, blur tool, layer masks, adjustments...man alive, this has got it all! Will definitely be able to learn how to draw with this no problem!" Wheatley concentrated hard as he moved the curser with his mind. "Ok, here we go! Let's select the brush tool...and click- No! I meant the brush tool! The brush tool! Click the brush tool! Ah, there we go! Now, move it over to the canvas space, aaaannnddd...Ah, no no no! Didn't want to do that! Ugh, let's see, select the eraser tool...Ok...Erase that...There we go...Now the brush tool again...Nope. Didn't want to do that either...Eraser again- No, not the paint bucket! The eraser! Ah, now see look at that. It's all gone neon green now. How'd it get that color anyway? I thought I had it set to black. Oh wait! Haha, yes! There's an undo button. And...Ah, there we go, got it back to default now. Ok, now the brush tool again..."

After about ten minutes of switching back and forth between the brush and eraser tool, and activating the undo option multiple times, Wheatley gave a small growl of frustration as he looked at yet another squiggly doodle of nonsense lines. "Arrrgh! I'm never going to get this drawing thing right! Couldn't do it with my hands earlier, can't even do it with my mind now either! You'd think that would at least work. I am an Aperture device after all. Used to doing a lot of things with only my mind." He gave an exasperated sigh. "Guess this just isn't my thing. Not...not many things are when I come to think about it. Not much of a surprise really. Thought I would catch onto it at least a little bit though. Guess I really am a mor- hey, wait w-what're you doing?"

Wheatley came out of his little world of frustration as he felt the signal of a new device coming online. He turned to find Chell had plugged in what looked like a blank black pad, and in her right hand she held what looked like a big plastic pen. She then set a sheet of paper on the table beside the computer, put a pencil into Wheatley's right hand, and brought it to hover just over the blank white sheet.

"Um...ok, you've kinda lost me now luv. I tried this before remember? I'm no good at drawing on real paper. Thought I would have a better chance with computerized art, but guess that was a flop, too. What exactly am I- whoa! Whoa whoa whoa, what the-?"

As Wheatley clasped the pencil in his hand, Chell made a motion over the black pad with her pen, and to Wheatley's surprise, his own hand went through the same motion just over the piece of paper on the table. As Chell came to a stop, he blinked a couple times, began 'connecting the dots', and then gave a small smile of realization. "Oh, I see. Clever, very clever."

Chell lowered her pen onto the pad, and Wheatley lowered his hand onto the sheet of paper. As Chell began sketching out a picture, Wheatley's hand imitated the same motion. Chell didn't consider herself to be a brilliant artist either, but as an unknown friend had shown in the past (in the many hidden places of the facility), art could be a powerful communicator, help one to express what mere words could not, and allow the mind and soul another avenue with which they could flow into the outside world. Having spent so many years being trapped (in more ways than one), even Chell felt that such a medium was very freeing in many ways. Perhaps Wheatley was discovering that now, too.

As the minutes ticked by, Chell began to notice that although she may have been guiding Wheatley's motions at first, he had a bit more voluntary control over his motions than most other ordinary computers. While ordinary computers could do nothing but obey the commands given to them, Wheatley was able to pull away from the commands whenever he wanted to and do his own thing. For although Chell may have provided the base work for the drawing, Wheatley would also start to improvise on his own as the picture began to take shape. While he would every so often fall back into her guidance, letting her skill lead his hand along the page, he began to be more and more confident in his own creative skill and add his own variation to the drawing on the paper.

As they finished, he set his own pencil down, and held up his newly created work of art to get a better look at it. He blushed and tried not to turn as he felt Chell move at his shoulder to take a closer look at what he had sketched out on the paper. She had a similar reaction, for what he had drawn was in fact a picture of her. The picture was of herself from the waist upward, dressed in her old Aperture uniform, and in her arms she held a little and very familiar personality core. "It's...it's one of my fondest memories of that place," Wheatley said, uncharacteristically quiet. "Well, one of the only fond memories really. After so long without seeing or making contact with anyone, it was really...well, it was really, um...nice...to have someone carry me. And you know, you-you've 'carried' me ever since. Not-not like this of course, but, in-in other ways. And...it means so much to me. I-I can't even begin to tell you how much."

Wheatley felt an arm curl warmly around his own, and as he turned Chell gently pushed her computer in front of him. He looked at what was on the screen, and from it he could see how both their pictures shared the same base and structure, but her's was also a bit different. In her picture, a tall bespectacled android was holding in his arms a dark-haired young woman. The woman's expression was one that looked as if she were just regaining consciousness after a long sleep, and the android smiled kindly down at her, and looked as if he were speaking to her, bringing her clouded mind back to the world of the living. She had also drawn motion lines to show that the woman had been shivering from the cold, but Wheatley couldn't help but sense the warmth the radiated from the tenderness of the scene; a scene which he remembered very well.

For one of the few times in his life, Wheatley was speechless. Not even a thousand words could adequately express how he felt about that picture, and especially how he felt about its artist. Taking inspiration from the picture itself, he expressed his gratitude in the only way he otherwise knew how. He suddenly scooped Chell up in his arms, pressed his face into the space between her neck and shoulder, and whispered, "It's beautiful Chell...Thank you."

There was a moment's pause, but presently, to his delight, Chell warmly hugged him back.


	3. This is the Part Where

Chell let out a small sigh as she took off her reading glasses and rubbed her eyes. Beside her, Wheatley was also reading, but he had stopped and glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye.

"So, what part are you at?" she asked, wiping a small fingerprint off the corner of one lens on her glasses.

Wheatley replied with a small tap on her shoulder. As she turned to face him, he gently cupped her face in his hands, brought it forward and said, "The part where I kiss you."

He felt her flinch slightly between his hands, but she didn't recoil as their lips met for their first stumbling, surprising kiss.

As he pulled away, she blinked a couple of times, seemed to think for a moment, and then said, "Now THAT is what I call a real, nice surprise."


	4. Monster Wheatley

**Inspired by some of the 'monster Wheately' fan art I've seen, and also the scene in the** ** _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_** **book where Eustace turns into a dragon.**

Wheatley began to regain consciousness. With a groggy grunt and foggy senses, he slowly fluttered his eyes open to see that he was lying on the floor of one of the test chambers, the whole scene looking sideways from his viewpoint as his cheek rested on the cold panels. His body ached all over, and he seemed to be lying in a puddle of cold slimy liquid.

 _"Oh brilliant,"_ he thought to himself in disgust. _"Would be just like me to collapse in this bloody stuff. Well, at least we got passed the- Wait! Where is she?"_

Wheatley had a wave of alarm come over him as the events from earlier came slamming back to the forefront of his thinking. Having been put back into his former human body by Her, and also Her having gone back on her word and not letting Chell go after all, he and Chell had been forced to become Her new test subjects. Well, he was new at it anyway. Chell on the other hand was a well-seasoned veteran when it came to testing.

For the last several days – or was it weeks? Time didn't have much of a meaning down here – he had tried all that he could to make up for what he had put Chell through before. Although he failed miserably at testing, he still tried his absolute hardest to get through and make it as easy as he could for her. Of course this more often than not ended up with him nearly falling to his death or getting shot by a line of turrets or getting crushed by one of his own mashy-spike-plates (which GLaDOS had kept around after he had been removed from the chassis), and Chell having to save him from his own clumsiness. Most of the time he felt more like he was a burden to her than a help.

And yet…as time went on, it felt almost as if things had gone back to the way they had been before, when they had been trying to escape with each other before. He would carry on in his endless prattle, and she would listen, giving a nod or shrug or even a smile in response. He hadn't seen her smile since that time during their first escape attempt, but he'd really like it if she would again…someday.

Then, he couldn't quite remember exactly what happened, but he vaguely remembered something about doing a test with her, and then suddenly feeling a sting in his side, and then blacking out. That had also been the last time he had seen Chell. Especially now that she wasn't there in the test chamber with him as far as he could tell, he began to feel extremely worried and insecure. He began to move his arms forward to push himself up off the floor, but what he saw out of the corner of his eye made him freeze in terror. As he had moved his arms, a hideous, slimy shape at his side moved as well.

 _"Wha- what- what is…tha-…AAAAHH!"_

In the split second afterwards, like a thunderclap, he recognized the shape, and leapt back in horror. Although it was now secreting slime, and scales were dotted along it, and a sort of fin seemed to be sticking out of the side of it, he recognized it as his own arm.

 _"Wha- what the bloody- ? Aah!"_

As he leapt back, he saw that his other arm was in much the same condition as the first, as well as the rest of his body. He also found that he now had yards of tail, with a great big fin at the end. As his breath began coming fast and panicked, he found it caused a weird sensation on the sides of his neck. He went to scratch at it, to find that the strange sensation as been the feeling of six slits – three on each side of his neck – fluttering open and closed like gills on a fish.

Wheatley then tried to scream and yell out whatever panicked-stricken curses he could think of, but found that only a sort of growling or gurgling or roaring noise came out. He could no longer speak! Which for him was an incredible loss. And things weren't getting any better. He saw that the patches of scales were spreading, and his body began to feel as if it were on fire. He curled up into a miserable little ball, his body stretching and contorting and growing and hurting.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pains began to ease up, and were finally gone after a couple more twitches and convulsions. For a few moments, there was no sound except for Wheatley's own ragged breathing and whimpers. His eyes then snapped open, his finned ears went erect, and his head shot up as he heard the chamber door open and Her cold voice say, _"This next test presents a, well, unique challenge. Remember before when I talked about taking up a new hobby? I know I mentioned taking up reanimating the dead, but I thought I would put that on hold for a while, and instead do some…well, you'll see for yourself. By the way, like you, it is a monster and it will try to kill you, but I'm sure you can handle it, right? Good luck!"_

Wheatley heard footsteps run up the stairs leading into the chamber, and immediately looked for a place to hide, but he couldn't see any. Then, she came forward into the chamber, and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw him.

 _"Chell!"_ he wanted to cry out, but all that came from him was an appalling, rather loud and slightly groaning, gurgling, roaring noise. In response, quick as lightning, Chell shot a portal onto a panel above the nearby pit of acid, and then pointed it down towards the floor, ready at any moment to fire the next one, daring the creature that had once been Wheatley to cross the portal surfaces that stretched out between him and her. Luckily, he wasn't standing on any currently, or else that horrible noise would have been the last one he would have ever made.

Chell looked frightened, but even more than that she looked determined and threatening. He had seen her look like that once before, and that was when she had been battling him while he was still in his power-mad chassis. All those memories came back to him now, bringing with them a fresh wave of grief and regret and shame. Although his transformed body sure felt disgusting, he found himself to be more disgusted by his past actions. _"It is a monster,"_ She had said, _"and it will try to kill you."_

He couldn't bear it! _"She was right!"_ he thought in anguish. What did it matter that his body had changed. Perhaps it fit what was inside him better now than his old one did. This thought caused Wheatley to start whimpering again, and curl back in on himself. Then he heard a soft, slightly shuffling sound from Chell's direction, and looked to see that she had shifted her portal gun ever so slightly away, and now had an expression that – though still guarded – began to look puzzled by his behavior. She seemed to be studying him, looking him over as if sizing him up in her mind.

 _"Remember,"_ the Voice came on again, _"it is a monster, and it will try to kill you. You ever heard of crocodile tears? That's what they do to put sympathetic lunatics like yourself off their guard."_

 _"Tears?"_ Wheatley thought to himself with surprise. His skin had been so wet all over that he didn't even notice the steams of tears running down his face. It was one of the only uniquely human attributes that he seemed to have held on to during the transformation. He wiped them away as best as he could, but of course remembering that with his hands now all moist it would hardly do any good. He shook his head in frustration, finding as he did so that he also seemed to still have a mop of blonde hair on top.

As he reached up to feel it in distracted curiosity, he saw Chell move out of his peripheral vision. He flinched as he prepared for her to rush at him, portal gun at the ready. But instead, he saw that she was putting the gun down, and then began to slowly approach him.

 _"What are you doing?"_ exclaimed the Voice. _"Did you not hear anything I just said? And don't you dare just leave that Portal Device lying on the floor like it's some sort of toy. I believe I've stated before how its value is greater than that of all the internal organs combined of those in subject hometown here."_

But Chell seemed to be ignoring Her. She came nearer and nearer to Wheatley, who by now was backed up into a corner. He shut his eyes tight, gill-like slits working hard in his neck, waiting for what would happen next. What happened next was one of the last things he had expected. Chell gently put a hand on the side of his face, coaxing him to turn and face her. He flinched again, not wanting at all to make eye contact with her. But as she placed her other hand on his other cheek, so that she had his head clasped firmly put gently between her palms, he finally gave in and looked straight into her face.

 _His eyes glowed a familiar stratosphere blue._

Recognition hit Chell like a bucket of ice water, and with a quiet gasp she stepped back a few paces, slime now coating her palms and forearms. Wheatley cringed at this, eyes again shutting tight, and shame flooding in on him again. He felt so horrid and ugly and naked and, well, monstrous, that he couldn't help but have the tears start flowing again, and his long ears pinned back against his skull. For so long he had thought being a human was so disgusting, and now he wanted nothing more than to be back as one of that race. Be able to talk, to laugh, to share things. But now, he was completely cut off.

He had never felt so lonesome in his life.

Then, he felt warm arms wrap around his quivering shoulders, and felt her hair drape across one of them. He carefully opened his blurry eyes to see her giving him the biggest, most comforting hug she could muster, with her cheek on one of his shoulders. He would have recoiled for her sake, if it weren't for the fact that he was trapped in that little corner of the room and couldn't move anywhere without running her over, and also for the fact that…well, he didn't want to leave her embrace. And he had known her long enough to know that although She may call her a lunatic, he knew full well that Chell always knew what she was doing. She was really one for having a head on her shoulders.

Or, in this case, a head on his shoulder.

He returned her embrace, still feeling a shiver go through him at the thought of caking her in more mucus (or whatever that gooey stuff was), but to his utter astonishment she didn't seem to mind. In fact, as his arms closed around her, he felt her squeeze him a bit tighter.

 _"Ugh…I was right,"_ said the Voice overhead. _"You are a lunatic."_

Wheatley looked down to see Chell's response to that, and what he saw was what he had wanted to see for so long.

She smiled.


	5. They Glitter'

_"Oh, there he is!"_ Chell thought to herself as she rounded the corner of the house, finding Wheatley kneeling down by the line of bushes that hugged the house's outer wall, his expression concentrated yet grimacing – seeming to be both simultaneously awed and disgusted with whatever it was he was looking at. Chell couldn't imagine why he was out here, or what it was about the bushes that was apparently fascinating him so much, but she figured she might as well go over and find out.

She had been looking for Wheatley for the last few minutes now to let him know that it was time to eat. Usually he didn't need telling, as the aroma of whatever she was cooking would alert him from wherever he was in the house. But when there was no sign of him even after Chell had looked in every room for him, she started to wonder just where he was and what he was up to. When it came to Wheatley, it could be anything from staring at the scenery to accidentally setting something on fire.

She figured she should try to find him pretty quick.

Now that she had, she strolled towards him and said, "Hey, dinner's ready," thinking he would immediately get up and follow her back into the house. But instead he just responded with a glance up at her and a, "Hm? Oh, yeah, ok. Will be there in a sec…" and resumed staring at the line of foliage.

Thoroughly confused, Chell strode a little closer and followed Wheatley's line of vision to see what he was looking at. Tucked back a ways into the bushes was a fairly sizable spider web, with a fairly sizable spider to go with it, and glittering raindrops from earlier that day dotted around its thin shining threads. The spider had a gold and white and black pattern splashed across its back, and was dangling perfectly still in the middle of its beautiful yet deadly trap. A few silk-covered lumps scattered about its web testified to its deadliness.

"Not a very nice creature is it?" Wheatley asked Chell, though still not taking his eyes off the spider, and looking almost like he was now glaring at it. "Not very nice at all. Seems creepy enough already doesn't it – what with all those eyes and legs and fangs and everything – but then it has to go and suck the bleeding life out of everything it traps. Not like they ever did her any harm, the bitch."

Chell raised her eyebrows at this, suddenly taken aback by the unexpected trace of venom that had now entered Wheatley's voice. It was just a spider after all, and it wasn't like the insects that it caught were like puppies or people. Yes, Chell would admit to the whole spider thing being a bit unpleasant, but it was hardly worth getting so _angry_ over. She looked from Wheatley to the spider, and from the spider back to Wheatley, still not understanding where this sudden sensitivity was coming from. "Well, it's a spider Wheatley," she began, not sure what else to say. "It's just what they do."

"It's in their programming you mean," Wheatley stated, pausing for a moment as his eyes scanned over the elaborate glittering trap this spindly creature had created. Wheatley gave a long, shaky sigh and said, "Sounds a lot like Her, doesn't it – building something impossible to escape from while sucking all the life out of those unfortunate enough to be there? Who knew I'd find another creature like Her out here." Then he shivered a little. "A bit like how…like how I had been too, really. Except I got caught in my own web at the end of the day, didn't I?" Wheatley finally turned and looked at Chell, a grim smile flashing across his face. "At least you escaped though. You were like the ninja butterfly that got away. You never gave up in your struggle to break free, not even after having two of us to deal with, one after the other…" Wheatley turned to look back at the bushes, shifting his position to rest his chin on his knees. "I don't know how you did it. How you managed to keep going and find any sort of hope in such an awful place." He paused, and sighed, his eyes now a bit sad as he stared back at the web and its architect.

It wasn't often that Wheatley would get all philosophical like this. That is, actually being legitimately philosophical. He could fake it often enough if he wanted to (Machiavelli anyone?), and granted he had gone through some profound moments of revelation in the last several months (what with getting his memories back and becoming human again), but being who he was he wouldn't often just sit still and think about things like this. His mind and personality were usually far too flighty for that kind of thing. In fact, as far as Wheatley went, this kind of thing was as rare as a snowball fight in July. So really, Chell was surprised Wheatley would even come up with such a metaphor for Her and that Place (and himself) to begin with.

But it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Chell thought as she knelt down on the grass next to him. Sure it wasn't good that the past was still haunting him, or that he still hung on to some of the guilt from when he had been in control of the facility, but perhaps this was his way of coping with things; bringing together such big and somewhat abstract things and grounding them in a tangible illustration. Though of course it wasn't a very pleasant illustration. Chell wished she could lighten the mood, but she wasn't really one for cheering people up. Usually that kind of thing was what Wheatley was good at.

But…perhaps Chell could do it by grounding the idea in an illustration of her own.

"They glitter," she finally managed to say, breaking the silence. The statement seemed to be so off-topic that Wheatley turned to look at Chell with an utterly confused expression.

"Sorry, what?"

"The webs," Chell clarified, pointing to the one in front of them. "They glitter. Well, when they have water droplets on them anyway."

Wheatley looked from Chell to the web, and from the web back to Chell. "True…" he said, not sure at all where this was going. "Very observant, definitely very glittery, but uh, I'm sorry, what's that got to do with anything?"

"Well," Chell began, thinking that if Wheatley could get metaphorical every once in a while, she could too. "Every cloud has a silver lining. So, why can't spider webs have shining raindrops? Or, if you like, glimmers of hope where there aren't supposed to be any?"

Wheatley blinked, for once silently waiting for Chell to explain further.

"There wasn't supposed to be any drops of hope in that Place," Chell continued as a small breeze caused the web to sway back and forth, "but I managed to find them from time to time, often in the most unexpected places. Like sometimes they were in those hidden lairs I found, or strangely enough in my own silent glittering tears, or simply in my own determination to never give up…Or when I met you," she said, turning to look at him fondly. Wheatley blushed a little and managed a small smile in response.

"Like you said, I was the butterfly who got away. Multiple times. And it was you who got me and others out for the final time." Chell smiled as she laid a hand on one of Wheatley's own comfortingly. "You're not the spider any longer Wheatley. So don't try to tangle yourself up in your own web again."

There was another moment of silence, and then Wheatley squeezed her hand in return, his eyes expressing gratitude. Finally, with a huffing sound Wheatley said, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. Don't know why I thought about all that in the first place. Kinda weird innut?"

Chell shrugged. "Human brains are hard to work out sometimes, huh?"

Wheatley gave a hollow laugh. "You can say that again!"

Finally, Chell stood up, still holding Wheatley's hand in her own as he followed suit. "C'mon," she said, "Supper's getting cold," as the two of them walked hand in hand back into the house.


	6. Come back, come back!

"NO! I forbid you to press it!"

"Press it! Press the button!"

"DO NOT PRESS IT!"

"PRESS IT!"

The two AI voices shouted after Chell as she began to dash for the stalemate button, each shouting equal and opposite commands. How many times had she had to endure either one of them nagging at her or telling her what to do? It was agitating and maddening.

But, speaking of maddening, Wheatley wasn't always like that. He hadn't always been nasty to her. Rather, he had been the only friend she had had for who knows how long. Why did he have to change? Why did he have to leave her? Why was he driven to this?

So many were driven to do insane things in that place…

"COME BACK! COME BACK!" he again shouted after her.

…Perhaps it was time for her to do something insane.

Without shooting a portal, she began to dash on back towards the power-mad AI, obviously confusing him further than he probably already was with everything that was happening.

"Wha-what are you doing?"

Then, with a final hard spring in her step, she lunged at him, arms wrapping around his core.

"AAHhh! GET OFF ME!" Wheatley began flailing about as he yelped in surprise.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING?" GLaDOS screamed from her port in the core exchange dock.

"LET GO!" he shouted, and was about to go on further until he heard:

"Come back…"

He froze, stunned completely out of his power hungry mind.

"W-wait…what?"

"Come back," she repeated, with a slight waver in her voice, her arms trembling from both adrenaline and emotion. "…Let go."

She had finally spoken, echoing his own words back at him. But although they were the same words, he knew there was a completely different meaning behind them when she said them. Even he could tell that.

He kept there completely frozen, and for once, he was speechless.

"Oh my god…" GLaDOS said from her little potato port. "You're all mad! Just go press the button already before we all explode! Although I already feel like exploding from bewilderment at your stupidity."

Wheatley felt bewildered as well, but for a totally different reason. He also realized he also felt so very tired, and sick – sick of trying to run the place, and sick of his addiction to the now revolting euphoria solution – and also suddenly ashamed and grieved.

"Gah! Watch out!" GLaDOS shouted at Chell. Chell's eyes snapped open, but before she could even move, she felt the cords cross behind her back. She flinched and was about to make a run for it but then:

"No…please…" she heard him say pleadingly, with a slight waver of his own emotion, and his optic turned down away from her face. "I-it's the closest I can get…Not being human…If you get me?" She then understood.

He was trying to give a hug in the only way his robot body could. And it wasn't an overpowering embrace. If she still wanted to, she found she could easily duck out of it and get away.

But she didn't want to. She squeezed him a little tighter.

"Ugh, ok, now I'm really gonna be sick," GLaDOS interjected from below.

Wheatley then seemed to realize that they were rather high up, and that Chell's arms were also now shaking from trying so hard to hold on. So he slowly lowered his chassis down so that her feet were once again on the ground. She then slowly let go. She tried to look into his optic, but he looked away and shut his optic plates as tight as they would go.

He then positioned himself to dangle right above the core exchange dock. The automated voice came back on.

 _"Stalemate resolve detected. Alternate core, are you ready to start the procedure?"_

GLaDOS's voice came on in absolute disbelief. "What the- …I mean…Oh for crying out loud! Yes! Get me back in my body before this potato gets fried from sheer-"

 _"Corrupted core, are you ready to start the procedure?"_

Wheatley seemed to let out a shaky sigh before saying, "…Y-yes. Corrupted core is ready to start…"

Chell backed away, with tears beginning to come to her eyes as the floor opened up beneath Wheatley, and the claws that had ripped GLaDOS out of the mainframe only those few days ago were now reaching up towards a now quivering Wheatley. But just before they began to take him out, he opened his optical plates partway and looked straight into Chell's face.

"…I'm sorry."

He then let out several cries of agony as the claws began to pull out cords and cut away at others and unscrew or unbolt other parts as the metal plates began to rise up, blocking Chell's view of whatever else was happening. She clenched her teeth and her fists as she listened to his screams. Finally, one panel gave way, and the little sphere rolled out onto the floor.

As GLaDOS pulled herself back up on her chassis, Chell made a dash forward and grabbed the little blue core. She then set him on her lap and turned him to face her. His optic opened a sliver, a small blue glow emerging from behind the plates.

"…I'm so…so…sor-" but before he could finish, he felt her warm arms wrap around him again. It wasn't an overpowering embrace. Overwhelming definitely, but now overpowering. It was so unlike the hold the mainframe had on him. This was different, and far better. It was terrifying, but he also wouldn't have given it up for all of the mainframes in the world. He closed his optic back up again, although wishing for once in his life that he could shed tears through it like she could with hers.

"…I'm back love…and I'll never leave again."


	7. Ghost

**Quick Note: Inspired by some ghost AU prompts on Tumblr, and some elements from C. S. Lewis's** ** _The Great Divorce_** **. (Also a warning to readers as there are some references to death and blood, but not overly gory or graphic. Just letting you know.)**

Wheatley couldn't stand it anymore.

This had been the third night that Chell lay in bed crying, and Wheatley bit his bottom lip as he heard her sobs through the wall, wishing with all his soul that he could do something to help her. It had been two months since she had moved into his old flat, and he had done his best to help her on multiple occasions. He was just so glad to have her there.

It had been years since they were able to get anyone to rent this particular flat…especially when they heard about what had happened there.

Strangely, Wheatley himself didn't remember much about what had happened that fateful day. Which was ironic, considering he was the one they killed. He figured it was for the best though. It had been frightening enough to walk in on the two thugs who had broken into his place, and see the skinny one swing something long and heavy at his head, but he didn't actually remember it hitting him.

Though he for sure remembered when he had gotten up…only to find his body had been left behind him. He shuddered as he thought of the red he had seen spreading around that cold and still form, and the emptiness he suddenly felt in that moment.

Wheatley didn't know why fate had it in for him that he was now bonded to that dark and dismal flat, but since that dark day his soul hadn't been able to move on and find rest. He had felt so lonesome during the years he had drifted – time having both meaning and no meaning, feeling almost as if he could pass on into the next realm one moment, but then feeling the invisible tug that kept him there, as if telling him his tasks were not yet done here.

But things began to change after _she_ came into his afterlife.

He remembers the day when the front door finally opened once again, and she and the landlord had come in to inspect the place. He remembered watching her roam about quietly, her expression beautifully analytical as she checked out the kitchen and bathroom appliances, testing the light switches, and the locks on the windows and doors. Another couple weeks, and she had returned with a couple of guys helping her move in boxes and furniture.

Over the next month, Wheatley relished her company. While he never revealed himself to her, making sure to keep himself invisible and as quiet as possible, Wheatley loved just being around her. Of course things didn't feel completely right. Wheatley was almost sure that if she knew he was there, Chell would be mortified at the thought that the lingering ghost of a grown man was now sharing a flat with her. Though Wheatley was enough of a gentleman to give her her privacy, and he stayed well away from the bathroom and her bedroom and dared not get closer to her than five feet.

Especially after she seemed to turn or glance towards him sometimes, as if sensing his presence over her shoulder. That was enough to make him retreat further away.

Despite his precautions and attempts at chivalry, Wheatley still felt like he ought to make it up to his unwitting roommate by doing a few things for her here and there. He knew he risked discovery, but it didn't feel right to be sharing a space with someone without making some sort of an effort to do something other than just watch her. _"Downright creepy that is,"_ he thought to himself with a cringe. Granted it wasn't his intention, and not like he could really do much else, but still, he felt he had to do better than what he had been doing.

Thus he had begun helping in little ways. Doing things like making the water in the kettle heat up faster when she made her tea in the morning, or swiping away any cobwebs out of the corners of the rooms when she was out during the day, or strengthening the signal for her favorite radio station as she did the dishes after dinner.

She was sharp though, he found out very quickly. In his mortal life Wheatley hadn't exactly been the most stealthy or graceful person in the world (he was actually quite the opposite as a matter of fact), so it was no surprise to him that he wasn't exactly the imperceptible ghost that he thought he ought to be. Even so, he felt like he had had a couple too many close calls, and definitely tried to keep his presence and interaction with Chell to a minimum.

But on a night like tonight, as the sounds of her weeping carried through her bedroom wall to the living room, Wheatley wished desperately that he could do more.

Wheatley waited. Ten minutes later, and Chell was still crying. There was a strength to be heard between her sniffles he knew, but even those who are strong need a shoulder to cry on every now and again. Wheatley of course didn't have an actual shoulder for her to cry on, but he felt the heart of his soul ache as he listened through the white plaster-coated surface.

Wheatley couldn't take it anymore. Though hesitant at breaking his own rule, Wheatley glided his way through the living room wall and into Chell's bedroom. There he saw her huddled underneath the covers, her face hidden in her pillow, and her dark brown hair spread across it like a feathery, wispy pool of night.

Some may have thought she looked a real mess in that state. But broken though she may have seemed, Wheatley thought her heartbreakingly beautiful.

Wheatley had to restrain himself from reaching out and laying a hand on her shoulder, though very much longing to in attempts to comfort. But he had never touched a live human ever since coming into his ghost state, though he figured it probably wouldn't be a pleasant experience for either party. Plus he knew it would surely frighten her to have an invisible presence touch her. _Heck, to try to do anything would surely frighten her right!?_

But…he had to do something.

Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore.

 _"Why are you crying?"_ Wheatley asked softly.

Chell froze, her sniffles coming to an immediate halt as her ears picked up at the unexpected sound of a voice. After a moment of silence, she began thinking, _hoping_ that perhaps her ears had deceived her just now. But then again-

 _"Um, why are you crying?"_

With a silent yelp of alert, Chell sat bolt upright in her bed, frantically looking this way and that around her dark and (seemingly) empty room.

 _"Ah! Sorry sorry sorry!"_ the voice came again, sounding as if its source was retreating into the far corner of the room, and was almost as disturbed as she was by what had just happened (and was happening). _"D-didn't mean to frighten you there, really! So sorry about that! I j-just wanted to see if you were ok, what with you, um, you crying that is. Third time this week you've done that. And I… well, I probably shouldn't have actually, considering how…Y-you know what, actually. This, me talking to you right now, it's all a dream! Yeah! Don't mind me, nothing to see here, just a figment of your imagination wandering about. In your head. In your dreams. Totally not real or anything. You just go back to sleep now and I'll- er, I mean, of course you're already asleep, I was just, I mean-"_

"It's ok."

 _"-this is-"_ Now it was Wheatley's turn to freeze. _"Um, s-sorry, what?"_

"It's ok," Chell repeated, her keen eyes seeming to look right through Wheatley as she brought her knees up to her chest, her demeanor tense, but surprisingly beginning to try to calm down. Waiting.

 _"Y-you-"_ Wheatley stammered, taking a moment to clear his throat. (While he may not have an actual throat to clear anymore, that action and others like it just seemed to still be called for sometimes.) _"You're…not afraid?"_

"Should I be afraid?" Chell asked, taking a deep breath to further steady herself, her eyes continuing to scan in his direction.

 _"Uh, well, n-no, no. Definitely don't want you afraid,"_ Wheatley said, finding his voice straining with the sudden effort to actually speak again after being near silent for so long. _"Though really sorry if I startled you just a moment ago. Wasn't very graceful of me was it? Not quite sure how else to go about things though. Still, poor judgment on my part. Sorry, again. I can um, leave you alone now though. Don't worry. Will just show myself out. Won't bother you anymore. Though I um…Well, you see, the complicated thing is, I, er, I can't exactly…That is, this will come as a shock I'm sure, because see, I-I can't actually totally leave-"_

"It's ok."

 _"Um… no, no it's not, actually,"_ Wheatley continued, feeling worse despite Chell's few kind words and surprisingly calm behavior. _"It's not because…Well, I'm afraid that this flat…You see, I can't- Well, I'm not exactly-"_

"I know," Chell said, cutting him off. "And it's ok."

Wheatley blinked. _"Wait, what? You_ knew _?"_

"Sort of," Chell continued, her eyes showing a moment's glimmer of amusement at the surprise in Wheatley's voice. "I wasn't positive, but…I had a feeling that I wasn't alone here."

 _"Oh,"_ Wheatley managed to say, disappointment and embarrassment blossoming in his chest. _"Sorry about that."_

Chell replied with a soft huff and shrug, indicating that no more apologies were necessary.

 _"Right, so…"_ Wheatley began again, his voice becoming a little breathy as he struggled to keep speaking, and the awkwardness of the situation beginning to hit home. _"Um…Are you ok now then?...I mean, I know I wouldn't be if…if I was you…Just finding out that you've been sharing a flat with a ghost and everything. Not that I want to be here mind you. Nothing against you! Nothing like that! And…and I know what you're thinking, but trust me, I haven't done anything that would…I mean… But I…I've been…I mean…y…you…"_

"Oh blast!" Wheatley thought to himself in frustration as he voice began to fail him. Though Chell, seeming to sense his discomfort, shifted her legs up and patted the open space on the end of the bed.

 _"Um, are…are you sure?"_ Wheatley asked breathlessly as Chell nodded.

Very cautiously Wheatley went forward to the end of the bed, and kept his eyes on Chell as he lowered himself down onto the comforter. A ghost though he may be, there was some extent to which he could manipulate the physical environment around him, but not in as grand nor certainly not in as malicious of ways as the horror movies had often made things out to be. Definitely over-exaggerated things they did. He thought the ghosts of Dickens' works were much more accurate, if he was honest. But still, he kept a keen eye on Chell as he sank into the blankets' soft surface, feeling them give way a bit beneath him. Chell hugged herself a little tighter at the sight of this, an alert glimmer coming into her eyes, but otherwise she stayed remarkably calm.

 _"Well…"_ Wheatley remarked as he looked down at the imprint left beneath his invisible form. _"At least now you can tell your friends…that you know for sure ghosts leave butt imprints on things when they sit down…"_

For a moment Wheatley felt that the sun must've come up early over the horizon as Chell _laughed_. It was quiet, and still had a trace of nervousness in it, but it was a real, jovial sound, and Wheatley _loved_ it. If he had had it in him, he would've tried to say more to make her do it again, cause he hadn't felt this alive in ever so long, but all he could manage was an amused huff of his own before having to rest his voice once again.

The two of them sat there in silence for a while, both of them studying the presence of the other to the best of their ability, until finally Chell broke the silence by shifting a little under her blankets, her right hand twitching slightly as if in inquiry, her eyes fixing on where Wheatley was sitting.

She didn't need to speak for Wheatley to catch her meaning.

 _"Oh, um, not-not sure if that would be a good idea luv,"_ Wheatley said sadly, his eyes casting down to the floor. _"I- I don't know what would happen if you tried that. Don't want to hurt you. Not that I would…hurt you….on…on purpose, but I am-"_

Wheatley suddenly stiffened, and a short gasp escaped him as he felt her fingertips touch his shoulder. He swung his head round, panic threatening to make him draw away…were it not for the _warmth_ that he suddenly felt seeping into him from her hand.

Wheatley remained still as Chell spread her hand flush against his shoulder, her eyes narrowing at the marvel she was seeing of her hand touching along an invisible surface. Remarkable though it was, it was also quite unnerving, and though he seemed harmless enough, it took courage for Chell to then close her eyes and perceive him solely by touch.

He wasn't nearly as cold as she had expected him to be, and were it not for the somewhat thin and wispy feel that he seemed to have, she almost would've thought it felt like having a hand on a living person's shoulder. She felt him twitch a bit beneath her hand, as if unsure of how he should react or what he should do. Acknowledging him with a comforting squeeze, she slowly pulled her hand back again, clasping it with her other as she brought it back to her knees.

 _"Y-you ok?"_ Wheatley asked, the concern showing very obviously in his voice.

Chell nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

 _"You sure?"_ Wheatley asked, Chell raising an eyebrow in response. _"Yes, right, ok. Just making sure. Like I said, wasn't sure what would happen there. Wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything. Or me. Not that I have a body to have hurt anymore, but I can still feel things…in a sense. And that…Well…"_ Wheatley hesitated. _"That…felt nice, if I'm honest. Been so long since…Well, since I've had contact with anyone really."_

"Me, too," said Chell, surprising Wheatley by reaching her hand out towards him again. Though instead of placing it on his shoulder, she instead just held it out in front of her, Wheatley suddenly realizing that she wanted him to take it in one of his own, her eyes suddenly becoming melancholy, as if she really meant having been alone for a long time too.

Very delicately, as if handling a most precious piece of porcelain, Wheatley clasped her hand in the two of his own. Feeling his touch, Chell once again closed her eyes (finding that actually helped to ground her rather than see her hands floating in midair like that), and brought another hand up to lay on top of his own, both of them squeezing slightly.

Hardly knowing why he did it, but just feeling that he ought to do more, and needed more of that wonderful warmth of Chell's presence, Wheatley closed his own eyes and gently pressed his forehead into her own. He could feel Chell tense for a moment, and he began to withdraw as a lurch of embarrassment and shame swept through him, but he found one of Chell's hands feel along his arm, up passed his shoulder, and to the back of his neck where she coaxed him close again.

After a couple moments of silence passed, Wheatley felt Chell begin to quiver beneath his touch. Startled, afraid that he may have done something wrong, Wheatley's eyes snapped open as he saw Chell begin to cry again.

 _"Oh! It's ok luv, it's ok,"_ Wheatley whispered, bringing a hand up to cradle her face, his fingers feeling like a cool moonlit breeze that brushed against her skin. _"Sssh, it's ok, it's ok. I'm here. Er, in a manner of speaking…I'm not exactly…Well, you know…"_

"I…" Chell began, swallowing hard, pressing her face further into Wheatley's palm. "I want to see you…"

Wheatley stiffened. _"Um…no, no you probably don't,"_ Wheatley stammered, the seriousness growing in his voice.

 _'Why?'_ Chell inquired with a brush against his knuckles with her hand.

 _"Because,"_ Wheatley stated, _"Well, quite honestly, I…I look an awful mess. Like seriously, I'm not just saying that. Looks really bad. Glanced myself in a mirror once after…After what happened. Did NOT want to see that again, let me tell you. Quite a bloody mess actually-"_

At this he could hear Chell give a small gasp, and she pulled away slightly as she stared where his face ought to be.

So it was true then. He must be the ghost of that man.

Wheatley cringed as he saw the shock come into Chell's face, and began to withdraw himself from her again. But firmly she pulled him back, and now her face showed nothing but determination. "I want to see you," she said again, her tone undoubtedly sincere, her eyes glistening.

Wheatley took a deep breath, shutting his eyes tight once again, and finally said, _"Ok…"_ as for the first time in years, he let his invisibility fall from him like a fresh spring rain.

A moment of silence passed. And then another.

Finally, Wheatley forced himself to look back up into Chell's face, finding her eyes flowing with tears. No sobbing, no sniffles, but two waterfalls of tears were swiftly etching their way down her cheeks as she stared in bewilderment at him, the one side of his head caved in and bloodied, leaving a trail of red down one side.

 _"Who would do this to you!?"_ her expression exclaimed.

Wincing at the sight of her stricken face, and his own vision now blurring, Wheatley quickly reverted to back to being invisible, and hastily got up and retreated from her presence.

 _Away._

He never should've come here in the first place! Perhaps there was still a way to make her think this had all been some sort of dream. Or perhaps a nightmare, given how things had gone just now. Yeah, definitely a nightmare this all was. He must've terrified the poor girl, and now what was he going to-?

"No wait, please!" she called out into the darkness after him, her voice breaking with emotion. Wheatley stopped, looking back at her over his shoulder as her eyes darted around the room, trying to find him, her ears listening for any signs of a sound. But Wheatley didn't move, nor did he speak.

Nothing.

Hugging her knees back up to her chest, Chell buried her head in them, not being able to hold her emotions back anymore. _Had she imagined that man? Had she gone crazy? Had this whole encounter with him been just a dream? Was she_ still _dreaming?_ She didn't know anymore. All that she knew now was that she needed to cry, to let her emotions go, and feel the sweet relief that it would all soon offer her.

…And apparently, Wheatley felt the same.

She looked up again as she heard his sniffles, and saw him standing only a few feet away, no longer invisible, though one hand now covering the damaged side of his head as he hesitantly came back towards her.

 _"I…I'm sorry,"_ he said again, for the up-teenth time that evening.

Chell merely shook her head, her face beaming with compassion as she beckoned him closer.

As he sat next to her again on the bed, she reached out, gently coaxing his hand away from the fatal wound on the side of his head, taking a moment to wipe away her tears as she examined it with care. Tenderly, Chell reached for it with one of her own hands, and began to gently stroke across the damaged surface, her fingers lovingly combing through his crimson stained hair. Wheatley bowed his head, allowing himself to be calmed by her touch, and taking courage in how she wasn't repelled by his gruesome state.

 _"…Thank you,"_ he managed to murmur between his hiccupping sobs.

Chell nodded again, slowly moving to bring Wheatley into the warmest embrace he had ever experienced, feeling her heart beat against his far-too-long empty chest.

"…What's your name?" she asked, her soft yet strong voice vibrating through his whole being.

 _"Wheatley,"_ he answered, wrapping his arms around her and laying his head on top of hers, a smile beginning to come to his face. _"Pleased to finally meet you…Chell."_


	8. To the Rescue

"Alright missy, we've had enough of your silent treatment. Now, tell us what you know about Aperture Science or else…What in the-?"

Chell froze, the metal cuffs digging into her wrists and heart pounding in her ears as her captor stopped in his speech and turned towards the flickering light hanging from the ceiling. Suddenly, for a moment, everything went black, and alarm bells and emergency lights began to turn on as hurried footsteps and shouts could be heard from beyond the interrogation room's door.

"What the heck is going on!?" the interrogator shouted to one of the security guards standing outside.

"I don't know!" Chell heard him shout in reply, and her eyes turned wide with surprise as the door suddenly slammed shut, sending her interrogator sprawling out into the hallway, and the lock clicking shut behind him, separating Chell from them. Chell, though thoroughly confused, strained at the cuffs anchoring her to the table, the chair she had been sitting on toppling over as she tried to break free and escape.

 _"I have to get out of here!"_ was all she could think about as she tried to wriggle her wrists out of the steel grip that held her fast. She had no idea what was causing the horrible malfunction in the security system of this place, but she didn't care. She had to escape!

For a split second of horror, the door suddenly swung open, the electric keypad lock and opening mechanism sending out sparks of static, and Chell was sure that they would grab her and take her to another holding cell somewhere. But before any of them could take more than a step inside, the door suddenly swung shut again, definitely knocking a couple of the men unconscious in the process.

 _"Wha…?"_ Chell thought for a second, blinking at the door that apparently couldn't make up its mind, and then stood dumbfounded as the cuffs that had been holding her prisoner suddenly released their grip, nearly causing her to fall over backwards as they let her go. After taking a few seconds to massage her aching wrists, Chell quickly made her way to the air vent located at the base of the far wall. Kicking the grate in with all her strength, Chell crawled through the yawning black opening, hearing the sounds of utter chaos echoing down the tunnels she now crawled through, and listening to the voices of her captors calling out to each other.

"Someone's hacked the system!"

"What!? Impossible!"

"Fraid not sir! Whoever it is was has tech way beyond usual capabilities, and has caused the whole system to go haywire! And- Gah!"

Chell heard the sound of water rush through the pipes on the other side of the vent walls, and then the surprised cries of her captors as a torrent of water poured down on their heads.

"They've activated the sprinkler system!?"

"Turn it off! Turn it off!"

Chell wasted no time with such a distraction having come her way. As she came to the nearest grate in the ventilation duct, Chell pounded it as hard as she could until it gave way, and then leaping down into the hallway, proceeded to run as fast as she could, not entirely sure where she was going, but not caring, so long as it got her closer to getting out.

"Hey you! Stop!" Chell heard one of the guards shout from the connecting hallway, but she only picked up her pace as she darted round the corner and sprinted down the corridor to her left, the sound of heavy footfalls coming from behind her.

 _"Keep running! Keep running!"_ her mind urged her as she did her best to not slip on the wet tiles beneath her feet. From the heavy thud that she heard behind her, it sounded like the guard didn't have such luck, but Chell didn't dare look back as she rounded another corner.

With a loud bang from somewhere in the building, the lights again went out in complete blackness, and sprinkler system also sputtered on and off as Chell was forced to stand still in the blackness.

 _"C'mon, c'mon!"_ Chell prayed, hoping the lights would come back on as she attempted to make her way by feeling along the wall of the corridor, looking for the handle of a door or the glass of a window.

Then suddenly, the lights did come back on, and after taking a moment to make sure the way was clear, Chell began to run again, and though of course grateful, she was also perplexed at the apparent indecisiveness (or ineptitude) of the mysterious hacker who caused all this ruckus.

After a few moments of running, Chell noticed that the lights were on only in certain corridors…as if they were leading her to somewhere.

 _"I have a bad feeling about this…"_ Chell thought to herself as she nearly slipped on the wet floor again, regaining her balance as another banging sound rang out from somewhere in the compound. But then, Chell saw a set of double doors ahead.

The way out!

With a huff of relief, Chell dashed for the front doors of the place, pushing hard against them as the locking mechanism began to flicker and numbers began to appear across the screen. _"What is happening?"_ Chell questioned as she continued to push, hoping that soon it would unlock and give way. Then, she heard a burst of crackling static as the PA system suddenly seemed to come online, the sound cutting in and out and growing in volume as the moments passed.

 _And that was when she heard it._

"chhhhhh….no…..nonono, that's not right! I have to…..chhhtcheh…the lock! Arggh! Got to hack the blasted…..-mn sprinklers! Why is it always the sprinklers!? I need the lights on you stccchhhhh…Oh! Sorry sorry! That had to hurt. My bad! Just let me…chhssschhaaaaand cameras! Yes, yes that's got it! That's got it! Hacked! Haha! Now, I just need to get the door so she can-…oh…"

That voice… ** _his_** voice…came to an abrupt halt as Chell saw the cameras on the wall swivel in her direction, her blood running cold and her eyes turning steely as she looked back into them, the sensation of being watched by him suddenly flooding back to her. The shower of the sprinklers slowed down to a drizzle, and it felt as if the entire world stood horribly still for what seemed like an eternity.

"…Umm…" the voice finally managed to murmur over the system. "H-hello luv…"

 **Author's Note:** A quick one-shot snap-shot of a concept I came up with where Wheatley - or more specifically, the program that is Wheatley - somehow returns from space and attempts to begin to make things up to Chell by helping her escape from some investigation organization or gang or something that has taken her captive in hopes of getting information from her about Aperture Science and its location (which has become legendary by this point in time). While Wheatley attempts to do so smoothly and secretly, he of course ends up bumbling at the whole hacking thing (though is still surprisingly successful) and eventually giving away that it's him initiating the escape attempt. (Also, being Aperture made, he of course is able to hack the system without too much danger to himself, though he's still rather a menace to everyone in question once he's in.) Anysways, hope you enjoy this little drabble!


	9. Bodyguard AU

**A quick one-shot based on a bodyguard!AU by Starry-Nightengale, where Wheatley is the heir to a large estate and Chell is hired on to be his bodyguard. Enjoy!**

Several hours later, Wheatley slowly peaked one eye open to look in her direction.

Her form was silhouetted in stark contrast against the moonlit glass of the large window. Her back is settled ramrod-straight against the back of her chair, her chin turned slightly downward, her eyes closed, arms crossed over her chest, and her breath silent.

 _Was she asleep?_ Wheatley wondered. He didn't think it of her to sleep on the job like this. Wheatley sighed a heavy sigh, watching carefully to see if she would stir at the noise.

Nothing.

He then shifted so as to rustle the blankets, and make the box springs of his mattress squeak and the bed frame creak.

Still nothing.

 _"She really is asleep!"_ Wheatley thought to himself, half with fascination and half with anger. How was he supposed to be kept safe like this if his bodyguard took to snoozing on the job!? Granted it wasn't fair that while he got to sleep she had to stay awake to look after him, but still. It was her job, she was getting paid (quite handsomely mind you), and she ought to be able to do it.

As angry as he was though, Wheatley felt aversion to the idea of waking her now. She had been up for a long time before then after all. Perhaps allowing her a few hours rest wouldn't hurt.

Still, best to address the matter in the morning of course. What with those scoundrels on the loose, it wouldn't do to allow for any lax in security. Not again away.

Laying there for a few more minutes, Wheatley suddenly felt the need to fill himself a glass of water from the tray of drinks set on the mini bar on the far side of the room. With one more glance in Chell's direction – her eyes still shut, and her form still perfectly still – Wheatley gave a small frown and swung his legs over the side of the bed to put on his slippers and-

"Turn on the light or you'll stub your toe."

With a tiny yelp of alert, and the hair on the back of his neck now standing on end, Wheatley's head whirled round just in time to see Chell open her eyes and look at him with a keen, and very awake sideways glance.

 _"She hadn't been asleep!"_ Wheatley suddenly realized, his blood for some reason turning cold with the realization. _"She was_ listening! _"_

"Er, r-right," Wheatley managed to stutter, as with a quivering hand he flicked on the lamp sitting on his nightstand, and contritely crossed the carpeted floor of the room.


	10. Werewolf AU

_"No…"_ Wheatley thought in horror, his blood running cold, and his heart booming in his ears as she turned to face him. Her icy-blue eyes reflected green and yellow in the dark, her shaggy form became backlit by the light of the full moon, and Rick could be heard scrambling for a foothold on the cliffside below.

No help would come from him now.

Wheatley wanted to speak. He tried to speak. Tried to scream. Anything! But all that came out were a few desperate gasping, huffing noises as his breath became far too fast and far too light. The ferocious creature that had once been Chell stalked closer, teeth bared, and a deep growl rumbled from deep within her throat as her large paws tread down the grass between them, scattering dew as they went.

"Ch…Che-e…"

Wheatley staggered back, his legs unsteady as the she-wolf…his friend…drew closer, her eyes and posture reflecting irrational and uncontrollable rage. He thought he heard Rick shout a few curses and "Run idiot! Run!" as he continued to struggle to climb back up (Chell having knocked him over the side only moments before during their brief but frantic tussle), but Wheatley could hardly hear anything now above the booming in his own ears, and the feeling that they were filling up with cotton balls. Indeed, Wheatley was nearly fainting. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the feeling of his back pressing up against something hard and rough. With a jolt, Wheatley risked a quick glance behind him to find that he had backed himself up against a great oak tree.

 _"Dammit!"_ his thoughts hissed at him. No running away now. With wide, frightened eyes, he turned back to the great she-beast that now braced itself for attack.

And then she dashed forward.

"No, please! Not like this!" Wheatley thought again as he braced himself up against the tree with one hand, and with the other attempted to shield himself from the oncoming mass of fur and teeth, his knees giving out partway. He then felt the huge paws pin him painfully against the solid wood, knocking the wind out of him. Wheatley felt the hot breath on his face, and felt something between a howl and snarl rumble through him as her teeth came in closer.

Wheatley coughed, his lungs struggling for air as he tried feebly to wriggle his way out from under the great beast, but he was far too weak and disoriented to do anything beyond cause her pause for a couple seconds. As the paws pinned him down hard again, time seemed to slow as Wheatley braced himself for the inevitable.

 _"I…I hope it doesn't hurt much,"_ Wheatley thought to himself, hoping that whatever was to happen would go by quickly. Wheatley was a coward, he knew, and he couldn't stand the thought of pain. He also couldn't bear to look, despite how he paradoxically found Chell's were-form to be simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring.

"Chell…" Wheatley finally managed to whimper, his voice cracking with both tears and pain as her weight pressed down on him, and her teeth hovered just inches above him, hot breath and saliva hitting his face, and his eyes screwed tightly shut. "Please Chell, no…don't-…"

Wheatley didn't know what grieved him more in that moment – the fact that he was going to die in such a horrible way, or that his friend had come to such a terrible fate as this herself; to be cursed as a werewolf.

"Please…Come back Chell…"

Wheatley let out a sob. Time continued to slow. And continued. And continued it seemed. Wheatley wasn't sure how much more of this waiting he could take. After a while he thought he felt the weight on his chest and shoulders lighten a bit, and he sniffled and flinched as he felt cool air brush across his face instead of hot wolf's breath.

Still, he waited.

 _…Had it happened already?_

Wheatley took in several shaky breaths, and carefully peaked his eyes open. At first he couldn't make out anything clearly as his eyes were blurred by tears and sweat. But then he lay still as his eyes came to focus on the faraway look of the icy-blue ones looking directly back into his own. Yet these eyes were not accompanied by a row of gleaming teeth and hair-raised fury. These eyes looked confused, perhaps even afraid.

Wheatley thought for sure he must be dead now, as the eyes looking back into his own seemed to begin to clear, losing their feral energy and softening into an almost human-like countenance. The dog-like face also began to change, and Wheatley nearly cried out as it began to take on a semblance he knew oh so well.

"…Chell?" Wheatley breathed, nearly at a whisper, as he began to reach up a quivering hand to her cheek, his fingers just brushing the reddish-brown fur that was gradually dissipating from her features.

His voice and his touch seemed to send a jolt into her, as Chell's eyes suddenly went wide – like one waking from a nightmare – and Wheatley felt himself shoved away as he heard her howl in dismay.

But it wasn't a wolf's howl. It was a human one.

It was several moments before Wheatley recovered himself from his near-death experience. For a minute or two he lay there on the cool grass, doing his best to take deep breathes and slow his rapid heart rate. Fainting would not do now. Then carefully, Wheatley got up on his hands and knees and turned to see Chell – yes, Chell – curled in on herself. Her knees were held tightly to her chest as she sobbed bitterly into them, and her shoulders and hair were highlighted white in the moonlight.

As much as it pained Wheatley to see Chell so distressed, he couldn't help but release a shaky sigh of relief. She was human again! Exactly how he wasn't quite sure, but it was truly a miracle!

By now, Rick had managed to climb back up the cliff, and was now kneeling at the edge of it, catching his breath, and both he and Wheatley exchanged glances before Wheatley staggered to his feet. He faltered a couple times, but presently Wheatley found and brought over the pack he and Rick and brought with them, and proceeded to wrap a warm cloak around Chell's trembling form.

Wheatley swallowed, and proceeded to hug her to his chest as he stroked her shoulders and her hair. For a moment Chell flinched, curling in on herself further, muscles tensing to push him away again. But after a moment or two, she finally grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands, her grip desperate, as she proceeded to cry into it. "There there luv, it's alright…" Wheatley cooed, his voice raw but reassuring. "It's alright now. It's over. Just breathe. Shhh…It's ok, I've got you. Rick's here too. We'll get you home. It'll be ok now. It's over. You're alright…"

After a few minutes, Chell quieted a little (mostly from exhaustion), and Wheatley felt Rick lay a firm hand on his shoulder. "We should go," he said simply, and Wheatley nodded courtly as Rick helped the two of them up, Wheatley moving to carry Chell as Rick led the way out of the dark forest.

"…I'm sorry…" Wheatley heard Chell whisper a few minutes later, her voice vibrating weakly at his collarbone, her fingers gripping at the folds of his shirt as he cradled her close. "I'm so…so sor-…"

Wheatley shook his head. "It's ok luv," Wheatley replied, glancing up at Rick who continued to lead the way (uncharacteristically) somberly. "It'll be ok. Just rest now. I've got you."

At his words Chell shivered at the thought of what nearly happened to him. …What she nearly did to him. But she also understood it to be a comforting gesture, and with heavy eyes proceeded to (for once) heed Wheatley's advice. As she began to drift off, she also felt Wheatley's arms shake with the effort to hold her as they went. She knew it couldn't be easy for him – beanpole that he was – to carry her for so long, and that the near-death experience must've taken a lot out of him too (it was a wonder he was standing and walking at all after that). But Chell needed this, and Wheatley knew it too.

The walk home was going to be a long one, but somewhere, over the hills, a new day began to dawn.


End file.
